Food insecurity is at the core of poverty, causing various forms of hardship that ultimately compromise adolescents’ overall well-being: physical, social, and psychological. Understanding the severity of this phenomenon is essential for developing interventions aimed at reducing inequalities and addressing the vulnerability and social marginalization of families.
With the support of an Advisory Board of experts, the DisPARI project focuses on the intangible consequences experienced by adolescents in conditions of food poverty, aiming to develop an accurate conceptualization and measurement of the phenomenon.
In this interview (also available in Italian), Enrica Chiappero, full professor of Economic Policy at the University of Pavia, offers her perspective on the multidimensionality of food poverty. Since her PhD thesis, Chiappero has been researching topics related to marginalization, vulnerability, and youth poverty, with a specific focus on education and the transition to the labour market. More recently, she contributed to the work of the Italian National Statistics Institute (ISTAT) to update the methodologies employed for measuring absolute poverty.
What is the connection between absolute poverty and food poverty?
Food poverty is a central dimension of absolute poverty because it really represents an extreme form of deprivation. It is a condition that reveals profound fragility within a family, with a significant impact on the quality of life of both parents and children. I believe there is nothing more distressing for a family than being unable to provide adequate nutrition for their children.
The condition of food deprivation can generate or exacerbate other forms of deprivation, creating an accumulation of disadvantages that, in the literature, are referred to as “corrosive disadvantages.” In a way, food poverty represents the central core of poverty, symptomatic of deprivation in other aspects as well. Therefore, if we could effectively address food poverty, we might also achieve positive effects in other areas: mental and physical health, education, and social marginalization.
Why is it important to understand and discuss the phenomenon of food poverty?
Food poverty is an alarming issue that we are underestimating. The numbers of absolute poverty are increasing, especially in Northern Italy, partly due to rising inflation, which affects food prices. Families that were not previously considered at risk of poverty, now find themselves in a state of extreme deprivation, including food poverty, with a high incidence of child poverty among migrant families. Child and food poverty are becoming emergencies, and there are no adequate policies in place to address them, including a form of universal income support. Ensuring nationwide accessibility to school meal services and extending them to secondary schools could be a concrete measure to help address this problem.
What are the dimensions of food poverty, and how do they relate to the social marginalization of adolescents?
First, food poverty has a material dimension, represented by the inability to access adequate and sufficient nutrition. This deficiency then extends to a second dimension, linked to both physical and mental health, with particularly significant consequences for adolescents. For example, for a young girl going through puberty, inadequate nutrition can compromise physical well-being and have repercussions on mental health, potentially leading to depression, stigma, and frustration.
There is also a psychological, social, and relational dimension: food is not just nourishment but also a means of social relationships. The inability to share a meal with friends becomes a form of social exclusion. This often leads adolescents to isolate themselves to avoid admitting their difficulties. This sense of not belonging can leave a lasting impact on an adolescent’s life, one that is difficult to heal in adulthood. Lack of proper nutrition has negative consequences for everyone, but in such a challenging and delicate phase as adolescence, it risks intensifying existing hardships.
What role could social innovation play in combating food poverty?
I strongly believe in social innovation and its ability to build a network of solidarity and support. Often, innovative community initiatives are the only resources available for struggling families, making them invaluable efforts. However, social innovation needs a fertile environment to thrive. Without a favourable context, even well-designed innovations risk developing unevenly, leaving unaddressed the areas that need them most.
Another concern is the potential disengagement of public administrations and the State due to the presence of these initiatives. While social innovation holds essential social and solidarity value, it is crucial to map what each area is missing to ensure that no segments of the population are neglected. Finally, I do not believe social innovation should always be scaled up to a national level. The community and empowerment dimensions are central to these activities but risk losing their value if decontextualized. The real challenge is to determine how to build social fabric in the most difficult contexts and promote these activities precisely in areas excluded from policy interventions.
What challenges arise in tackling food poverty?
The first challenge is awareness of the phenomenon: recognizing that food poverty is not just a part of material and absolute poverty but a distinct dimension of its own. Acknowledging that this issue exists and is worsening should help us grasp its real severity. In countries where food is recognized as a right, food poverty is not left solely to invaluable initiative like food banks and social solidarity networks; rather, it becomes the responsibility of governments to ensure that the right to food is upheld.
The second challenge is that our societies are increasingly centred on consumption, and individuals are perceived primarily if not exclusively as consumers. In my view, this worsens the poverty issue, as it makes young people strongly aware of the gap between what they should have and what their families lack. Meanwhile, the centrality of consumption in identity formation fuels frustration, hardship, and social exclusion.
Lastly, a policy for price control, particularly in the food sector, is necessary. The widespread increase in costs in recent years is highly problematic, and government intervention in price regulation could help families regain stability. Instead, we are faced with a spiral of low incomes, high food prices, and an excessive push toward consumption.